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Vision for Erie Municipal Airport's next 20 years takes off

Runway lengths, through-the-fence fees will be among issues examined in new master plan

By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
11/28/2012 10:10:39 PM MST

Updated:
11/28/2012 10:15:23 PM MST

John Hennessy, of Bailey, washes the windshield of an airplane at the Erie Municipal Airport after flying Wednesday.
(JEREMY PAPASSO)

Airport survey

To take a survey on the Erie Municipal Airport master plan, visit erieco.gov

ERIE -- The next chapter in Erie Municipal Airport's future lurched forward Wednesday with a well-attended launch of the latest master plan for the 35-year-old facility, with contentious issues concerning runway lengths, airport access and noise mitigation never far from the surface.

The town hosted a public meeting at the Erie Community Center that packed in nearly 100 people wanting to hear how the 20-year vision for the town-owned airport would take shape. Erie has hired Airport Development Group to conduct the latest version of the airport's master plan.

The plan will examine through-the-fence access issues at the airport, the possible expansion of Runway 15-33 from its current 4,800-foot length, the potential revival of long-shuttered Runway 9-27 and noise issues in nearby neighborhoods. Airport Development Group hopes to have a set of alternatives ready by spring.

Mayor Joe Wilson told the gathering Wednesday that Erie Municipal Airport is an "economic engine" for the town, and plans for its growth need to be crafted carefully. With Firestone and Frederick each looking at building its own airport, the mayor said Erie must recognize the asset it already has and use it wisely.

"We're ahead of the game, and we intend to stay at the forefront of municipal aeronautical facilities," he said.

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Runway expansion possible?

But to do that means taking on several issues that have dogged the airport over the last few years, not least of which is runway length.

Airport Manager Jason Hurd said if the airport's lone functional runway could be extended to 6,000 feet, it would lure more pilots to land in Erie. More planes -- and slightly larger jets -- mean more fuel sales and an increase in the need for maintenance services at the airport, Hurd said.

"Filling up one jet is like filling up 10 small airplanes," he said. "Economically, it would be huge for the airport."

Studies have suggested that an airport like Erie's generates $16 million a year in economic activity in the surrounding area, he said.

Right now, Hurd said Erie is at a disadvantage because its primary runway, Runway 15-33, can't compete with the longer facilities available in the area, including nearby Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield.

"Right now, if you look at our runway, it's not that attractive," Hurd said. "Not when you have a runway almost twice as long seven miles away. It's a no-brainer."

A longer runway could also prompt jet-hopping developers, who might want quick and easy access to their projects, to take a harder look at Erie as a place to build.

"A lot of people base their development decisions on whether they can fly in here," he said.

Hurd acknowledged that a big impediment to a runway expansion is neighbors' concerns about increased decibel levels near their homes from more frequent fly-overs.

"People just assume that the minute you put in a longer runway you're going to get great big jets coming in here -- and that's just not true," he said.

Hurd said the planes landing at Erie Municipal Airport would probably remain in the eight-seat-and-fewer category, whether the runway is extended or not.

But it won't just take the extension of Runway 15-33 to turn Erie's airport into a regional contender, said Oliver Frascona, who attended Wednesday's meeting. The Erie resident, who owns a 1977 Rockwell 112TC, said it's critical that serious thought be given as part of the new master plan to resuscitating Runway 9-27, closed for the past dozen years and the subject of a recent lawsuit by residents of the Air Park neighborhood.

The runway's east-west orientation, he said, is critical for pilots looking to avoid the crosswinds that often buffet Runway 15-33, which runs north to south.

"The elephant in the room -- for the airport to be viable -- they have to have that east-west runway," Frascona said. "I would be willing to spend my personal money to see that happen."

Through-the-fence fees

Another aspect of the airport that many want to see preserved are the through-the-fence fees the airport collects from adjacent residents and businesses, who enjoy direct access to the tarmac. Hurd said the airport gets $600 a year from about 34 homeowners and 24 cents a square foot per year from 10 businesses from the fees.

"The airport couldn't exist without those fees," he said.

The mayor called the fees "very important," while Airport Development Group project manager Steve Marshall said proper management of the through-the-fence arrangements has the potential to "double or triple" economic activity around the airport.

Dave Hampel, who has operated Rocky Mountain Propellers since 1982, said he would love to see more business generated at Erie Municipal Airport, and he hopes the master plan process will provide the town with ideas on how to do that.

"The master plan is definitely critical," he said. "I'm hoping to hear it's heading the airport back in the direction it used to be."

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